As a business owner, office manager, or purchaser of office technology for your organization, there are many choices of where to purchase your next copier and service in the future. For example, there are manufacturers, copier repair businesses, or your local authorized copier dealer, like us.
But there are so many options out there—how can you be sure which office copier dealer is best for you and your employees?
The competition is tough nowadays. It probably seems like every local copier company tells you exactly what you want to hear to fix all of your office equipment and technology needs. Are you nodding your head, “Yes?” I hate to tell you this, but not all copier dealers are the same, and that’s what I’m here for!
Whether you choose a top-tier company like AOS with years of experience and expertise or go with another option, my goal is to make sure you’re informed. I’m giving you industry insight on the top differentiators to look for as you search for an office copier dealer.
Keep in mind, the relationship between you and your office technology provider is a partnership. You’ll know when you come across a great copier provider when they take time to learn your pain points, assess your current technology, and come up with a plan.
Key Differentiators: Setting Apart One Copier Dealer From The Rest
As we’re all emerging from 2020, the most unpredictable year to date, your office printing and copying needs most likely have changed. Maybe you have more remote workers now, or perhaps each of your employees requires a desktop or multifunction printer (MFPs) in each of their offices.
Whatever the case may be, now is a great time to learn and explore your options. I’m sure you’ve heard this time and time again, but it’s always a good idea to have options.
Top Differentiator: A Refined Pricing Method
Everyone wants to save a little money, right? When we meet with new customers, we tend to get this question a lot:
“Why are your prices so much lower than the other quotes I received?”
The answer to this question isn’t a simple one, so let me explain. If you come across a copier dealer who offers their services at a lower cost than all the others, there’s a reason for it. I’m going to use us as an example.
We take a different approach and look at the partnership with our clients as a long-term relationship—not a one-time sale goal. The sales rep of a traditional office copier provider typically:
- Creates their own proposal and solution for the prospective client, and
- Is paid out of the pricing they determine and integrate into the proposal.
In all likelihood, this method results in the client paying more than they should. These decisions are not made in the customer’s best interest because the sales rep looks at this as a short-term profit. That’s why a provider like us decided to change this approach.
If you notice a copier dealer has more affordable pricing, it may be because they’ve done what we’ve done, and that is the creation of a Client Success Team. A Client Success team creates the proposals for the sales rep with aggressive pricing pre-determined by management that gives them the competitive edge.
Related Article: 8 Steps to Building a Strong Customer Success Team.
The Sales reps are paid a salary, placing them in an excellent position to compete for new business because they haven’t over-inflated anything. A Client Success team works alongside the Sales team to assist in winning new clients as well as nurturing current clients to aid retention.
Top Differentiator: Nurturing a Forever Partnership
To follow up with what we mentioned above, it’s essential to learn about how a copier dealer interacts with their customers, especially after the deal is signed. I can’t stress this enough, but it’s critical to partner with a dealer who doesn’t look at your deal as a one-time sale.
You’ll find more success with your copier or printer provider if they are primarily interested in becoming a provider for life by forming a solid and continual partnership. You want all of your partners and vendors to grow with you as your small business demands change.
After earning your business, a great copier dealer should provide proactive nurturing care. The initial sales rep should stay involved with the client by re-touching base with that account to keep the relationship strong.
A copier dealer should also want to give superior care to all of their clients—and one of the best ways to do this is by keeping your printing costs as low as possible. Not to mention, emphasizing proactive care keeps everyone happy, making sure all the client’s needs are taken care of, so they can actually feel a difference.
Related Article: Office Copier Satisfaction: It's the Service that Makes the Difference.
Top Differentiator: Backing Up Claims
Everyone can say they’re the best in the business, have the lowest pricing, and retain the happiest customers. But can they actually back up those claims? There are industry standards that are important to note when working with an experienced and top-tier copier dealer.
As you search around the local dealers in your area, I highly recommend you asking some of these questions to get a better read on how these companies truly serve their clients:
- What was the number of service calls you completed last year?
- How many clients did you have up and running in four hours or less?
- What is your average repair/response time?
- What is your percentage of first-call resolutions?
- What is the number of certifications each of your technical service team members hold?
Look for copier dealers who have less than four-hour repair/response time and keep metrics on everything, from toner monitoring and replenishment to repair and response times.
I can tell you first hand that we make sure we have the right supplies for our clients’ maintenance and repairs by keeping supplies and parts in stock, so there are no waiting or backorder situations. I think we can all agree that preventing any downtime whatsoever is a total win.
Finding The Right Copier Provider: What’s Next?
To be honest, I barely scratched the surface when learning some of the top differentiators that a copier company should have. However, this is a learning process, and this is a great first step that you’ve already started doing your research.
So, where do you go next? First, start by reading our article about searching for a new copier or printer dealer, How To Find A Printer Repair Company Near Me.
If you’re in our area and want to learn more about how we can help your office technology needs, please reach out to us! We’d love to start a conversation with you and tell you how our solutions can work with your specific office copying and printing needs. We’re your partner and dedicated to helping your organization grow.Your blog post content here…
